Eamon Powell (4.25 Star Amateur Rating, NHL Grade — B) Defense
Neutral Zone NHL’s Ian Moran’s comments, May 2020: Eamon is a kid who’s always had it going on offensively. He can skate like the wind and his elite vision or poise always made him one of the most talented players on the ice while he was growing up. So coming into his draft year the offensive side of the puck really wasn’t much of a concern for me. I was looking for Eamon’s willingness to defend at a high level. Yes, it is willingness because I feel he processes the game so quickly that as a younger defenseman he was able to cheat and get away with it. So I was looking for attention to detail. Was he focused on draws to know the responsibilities on both a win or a loss? Did he cheat in defensive zone coverage trying to poach or pick off passes and leave his coverage too early? Sure you can say this are things that can be coached. Well, these are things that have been coached by the USNTDP’s staff so the willingness to defend is what I was looking for. All the little details that matter in the NHL. Net side positioning, pinning on the cycle, stick on puck, matching speeds on line rushes and controlling sticks. The little stuff that adds up to being a high level two-way defender. And you know what? Eamon answered the bell. There wasn’t a game this year where I thought he was sniffing. He was a rock solid defenseman who provided offensive support. To me, he was impressive and my questions about his willingness to defend were gone. So what does this mean for the the draft? He’s not ready to be a pro next year, and he’ll need another year at Boston College to mature physically and to gain the experience of playing against older stronger players. But I would think in the Spring of 2022 Eamon will be ready to make the jump to pro hockey and be knocking on an NHL roster for the playoffs. So for me Eamon goes in the top 75 and he is a player who has the brains and skills to have an NHL career..
NHL Scouting Report, March 2020: (1) Brain – He reads line rushes well by not only looking at the first line of attackers, but by also reading the depth, speeds and movement of the second wave of the attack. Eamon’s defensive zone awareness and confidence shutting down the cycle seem to have improved every game we saw him play and he has developed into a legitimate top 4 NHL prospect. (2) Vision & Poise – Eamon is confident with puck under pressure and does not panic. He has the puck skills to make quick 1 touch passes through tight areas or settle a poor pass quickly and find the stretching forward in stride. (3) Feet – Excellent thrust and low hips while skating backwards allows him to maintain tight gaps and force turnovers. He retrieves pucks quickly and has the quickness to create time and space for himself and his partner. (4) Compete & Effort – He has always been a competitive kid and won his share of battles, but as he has become stronger and more powerful he is winning more and more 50-50 pucks and turning them into quick outlets for transition. (5) Contact or Physicality – Please see above. He is not an overly physical defender, but his improved strength is very noticeable in all facets of his game. (6) Release – Quick release from the offensive blueline that does not hit shinpads and creates rebounds or secondary scoring opportunities. Although he does not have a lot of goals we feel he has the type of snap shot that can score when joining the rush. (7) One Timer Ability – This is an area that Eamon will need to continue developing while at Boston College. We feel that for him to be a true top 4 NHL defenseman Eamon will need to expand his comfort zone for one timers. This is a skill that can be developed through time and effort. (8) Body Language – Eamon is a confident player. He believes in himself and it shows. This does not mean he is arrogant. It means he believes in himself as a player and expects to be successful. (9) Special Teams Potential – We feel that Eamon can be a defenseman that can play in any type of situation. He is smart, skilled, has great feet and is only going to improve while at Boston College. (10) Intangibles – His improvement over the past 16 months has been obvious to anyone who has spent time watching him. We feel he will continue improving while in college and will turn pro as player who can play top 4 NHL minutes.
February NHL Draft Rankings, February 2020: Eamon was ranked #88 in Neutral Zone’s February Draft Rankings.
Single Game Evaluation – U.S. National U18 Team vs University of Wisconsin, January 2020: Eamon earned a single game grade of a ‘B’.
USHL Scouting Report: Tri City vs. NTDP U18, December 2019: The D-man has good feet and solid edge work. He carried the puck up the ice, attacking space and driving play at even strength, 4v4, and on the man advantage. He has a quality shot, sniping one home on the PP from the half-wall. He did stumble after getting caught up the ice on a chance, leading to a goal against. Offensively talented and a great skater, would like to see a more focused defensive game on occasion. Grade: B+
Post 5 Nations Tournament Quick Evaluation, December 2019: He has an effortless skating stride and has the ability to beat forecheckers 1 vs 1. He has a quick, accurate shot coming down the wall. He is very smart and patient with the puck. High IQ defender who is improving at a rapid rate. We feel he is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.
U.S. National U18 Team NHL Draft Grade Update, November 2019: With a strong start to the his NHL Draft season Eamon had improved his Neutral Zone NHL Grade to a ‘B-‘.
USHL Phase I Draft, May 2018: We learned that Eamon was chosen for the NTDP and he was therefore not on our final rankings.
U15 Nationals, April 2018: Eamon was the most dominant player on the ice the whole weekend and he makes the game look easy. He rarely comes off the ice and while he’s on the ice he makes something happen on every shift. He has an effortless skating stride and has the ability to beat defenders 1 vs 1. He has a quick, accurate shot coming down the wing. He is very smart and patient with the puck. College: Boston College
Top 200 American OHL Draft Prospects, April 2018: Eamon was Neutral Zone’s second rated prospect behind only Antonio Stranges
NTDP Evaluation Camp: Day #1 Notes, March 2018: Anthony Kehrer, our #6 ranked defenseman in the US and Eamon Powell, our #8 ranked defenseman were two of the best in the game today. Powell had a brilliant assist through the neutral zone springing Stranges for a breakaway and the first goal of the game. Kehrer was a force defensively and tough to get around with his skating ability and instinctual play.
NTDP & USHL Futures Draft Top 115 American 2002’s, March 2018: Eamon was Neutral Zone’s 8th ranked defenseman.
Mid Term NTDP Bound Rankings, December 2017: Eamon was Neutral Zone’s 5th ranked defenseman.
ECC Labor Day U14, U15, U16, September 2017: Eamon was likely the most polished 2002-born defender at this tournament. He makes the game look easy at times because he is so smooth when he rushes the puck. It takes minimal effort for him to get a maximum output. Numerous times we saw him take the puck coast to coast, a few of them he wasn’t even touched before he put a shot on goal. His acceleration can be deadly because if you make a misstep you will take a tumble. When he isn’t weaving in and out of traffic he is smart about when to jump in offensively and when to get back to protect the house. He also makes smart step up plays before a shot is taken in order to save his goalie some SOGs. BC is getting a very skilled player.
Beantown Classic Futures Division, August 2017: Smooth as can be. Joins the rush and can take it and go on his own. We watched him do that often and have it lead to scoring changes. He checks in at 5’10” and is offensive minded, but he can battle and take care of his own end. Was one of the top 2002 defenseman all weekend. College: BC
Blue Line Elite Prep Cup U16, June 2017: Powell is fun to watch. He is skilled, fast and electric attacking from the blue line. He can pass or skate the puck and very seldom was a forechecker able to pin him in his end. Almost all his touches on pucks were good. We also really liked his movement without the puck. He pushed up as the weak side D on the rush and was able to find soft spots on the offensive zone for shooting chances. His shot has improved. He did puck watch at times in his end but we also saw him “see” his goalie after a couple goals against. Those balanced out and kept him at an “A” grade. He looked like a kid that loves to play and supports his teammates. He was one of the very best players in Hooksett.
U14 USA Tier 1 Nationals, April 2017: Eamon is a very good skater and showed off a high level of athletic ability here. He defended with an above average stick and his feet. He was at his best, however, with the puck. He skated and passed the puck from his end and played in every key situation for a very good Stars team. He still has some polish to add to his game, specifically in his outlets and his defensive play but he has the skill stuff figured out. His skill coupled with his athletic ability point towards a bright future with upside a s a three zone defender.
The Cup North American Championship (2002s), January 2017: Powell is a good defender who works hard every shift and can step into the offensive zone and produce chances. He moves the puck well and knows when to pinch most of the time. Keeps an active stick and has good gap control. Smaller but plays big for the most part. Needs to use his body more on 1 on 1 situations. Pacey Schlueting received an ‘A’. Christian Jimenez, Zach Bookman, Michael Bianconi, David Jesus and Eamon all received ‘B’ grades.